Rosemary is a small evergreen shrub growing wild throughout Europe and in many parts of India, where dry to moderately moist climate prevails during most part of the year. Unlike many other herbs, rosemary has a very strong and pleasant cineolic aroma. Leaves of rosemary have an agreeable aromatic odour and camphoraceous taste. The leaves are reported to yield a volatile oil (1-2%) which is used in perfumery, pharmaceutical and culinary purposes especially for flavouring meats, sausages, soups and table sauces. The antioxidant activity of rosemary is well established. Antioxidative principles such as rosemarinic acid, rosamarinol, rosemaridiphenol have been isolated from rosemary. Presently natural antioxidants have assumed a greater significance with respect to several cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Reference can be made to a U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,836 (1986) by Bakal A. I., wherein stabilized edible herb composition comprising edible oils, acids, salts and herbs is described. The combination of herbs listed numbering to a double digit will not be a compatible flavour composition when reconstituted. The addition of edible oil in the composition makes it prone to oxidation, adds calories and masks the advantages of health properties of herbs. The quantity of fat required to give a pasty consistency is very high (25-70% by wt.) which is a major drawback of this invention. In the present invention we have not used fat since it is a major health concern these days.
Reference may be made to another U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,405 (1991) by Todd P. H. Jr, wherein stable alkaline solution of labiatae antioxidants by agitating a solvent extract of herb with an aqueous alkaline lower-aliphatic alcoholic or polyol solution and separating the aqueous phase/extract. The drawback of this invention is the use of organic solvents which is not warranted and also it poses the problem of solvent residues in the product. In the present invention we have neither used solvent nor alkali but the process of extraction was carried out at a near neutral pH by using universal solvent water, which keeps the extractives in their native state for realization of maximum bioactivity. There is no fear of solvent residues in this present invention/process. The process further makes the extractives more acceptable for consumption by incorporating other permitted additives. Reference may also be made to a U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,506 (1983) by Kanamori T and Kimura Y, which describes a process for producing preservatives-solvent extracts from herbs. This process comprises preparation of oleoresins from number of herbs using polar and non-polar solvents after recovery of essential oils and then blending the extractives which is different from the present invention and has a major drawback of solvent residues. The present invention/process does not have the problem of solvent residue.